I learned that if you bring black people together, you bring them together with a song. To this day, I don't understand how people think they can bring anybody together without a song.
Bernice Johnson ReagonRead
When the culture is strong, you've got this consistency where black people can grow up in these places with this voice just resonating about our special-ness in the universe. And I always say you're in trouble if you get too far away from that core that grounds you.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A strong cultural foundation is essential for fostering a sense of identity and belonging.
Bernice Johnson Reagon emphasizes the importance of a strong cultural identity for black individuals, suggesting that a supportive cultural environment allows them to thrive and recognize their unique contributions to the universe. She warns that drifting away from this core identity can lead to a disconnection from one's roots and values.
Themes
CultureIdentityBlack VoicesCommunityRoots
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech celebrating Black History Month, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of cultural heritage.
More from Bernice Johnson Reagon
All quotes →Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.
Bernice Johnson ReagonRead
The voice I have now, I got the first time I sang in a movement meeting, after I got out of jail... and I'd never heard it before in my life.
Bernice Johnson ReagonRead
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Culture relates to objects and is a phenomenon of the world; entertainment relates to people and is a phenomenon of life.
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Sharing food has always had a central place in civilized societies; it's no accident that so many of our cultural, religious and patriotic rituals are involved with eating.
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But I feel music has a very important role in ritual activity, and that being able to join in musical activity, along with dancing, could have been necessary at a very early stage of human culture.
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